County cuts funding to rescue squad

County officials voted to cut ties with the Robertson County Rescue Squad Thursday night because they say the fire chief can't answer basic questions about his department or how he's spending taxpayer money.

The County Budget Committee, in a joint meeting with the County Fire Committee, voted to defund the Robertson County Rescue Squad, removing the department's funding from the proposed 2014-15 budget.

"As a member of the budget committee, this fire station is in my district," Commissioner Billy Vogle said. "I hate that we're doing this, but this needs to be done. This is right."

The Robertson County Rescue Squad receives $78,500 in funding through the county budget, according to documents provided by the county's finance office. Eight other departments also receive funding from the county, the documents show.

Robertson County Rescue Squad Chief Brian Edwards was not present for the budget committee meeting.

In a telephone interview last week, he said he didn't know what committee members were talking about when they accused him of not answering their questions. He blamed politics for the situation with his department, but declined to go into specifics.

During the interview, Edwards, 36, said he did not know how large his department's territory is; how many people live there; the year his fire station, which sits near Jo Byrns Elementary School, was built; how many volunteers work there; or the year he became fire chief. He admitted that he owned the fire station and the land it sits on, but when he was asked about the building's mortgage information, he said "I don't know these figures off the top of my head."

"I'm bad with dates and numbers and years," he added.

Budget committee members, during their June 12 meeting, said they were concerned about where Edwards was spending his money. Chairman Lanny Adcock, who also sits on the county's fire committee, said Edwards did not provide answers when he was questioned about his spending during a fire committee meeting earlier this month. He added that he was troubled that the chief had been behind on the station's property taxes in recent years.

Edwards admitted that he'd been "a little behind" on the payments, but he said his wife had paid the bills for 2012 and 2013 on the day of the fire committee meeting.

"As far as I know, we're current now," he said.

The Rescue Squad's budget has been unchanged since 1995, Edwards said. As chief, he is required to submit information about his spending to the county every year and he meets that requirement, he said.

Coverage will continue

While the rescue squad is being defunded, fire and rescue coverage will not be disrupted for residents in the department's 40-square mile territory in the Cedar Hill area.

North Robertson Fire and Rescue and the Adams Fire Department have agreed to divide the coverage area between them starting July 1.

North Robertson Fire Chief Chad Gregory said the departments' mutual aid agreements will provide the departments the latitude necessary to respond to rescue squad calls until new contracts can be drafted and approved to officially split up the rescue squad's territory.

"We're set to cover whatever we need to under the circumstances," Adams Fire Capt. Denny Lowe said. "We will respond."

In the meantime, Gregory said he began discussions with Edwards late last week to possibly buy out the rescue squad's assets and take over its coverage area.

"We haven't come up with a number, but we have been talking," Gregory said.